Chapter 11: Rescue Me

Plan A had been for the Pussy Pirate Raiders to be backup to a reasonably simple retrieval of a smoke jumper and her family. The report of kidnappers wounding Smokey and her family caused a change to Plan B, an escorted extraction from the hospital and her sister’s home. Now, Kim’s call to Richard alerted them to an attempt to takeover of Mammoth Lakes and upped the ante requiring a shift to Plan C.

With the current mission, there were some limitations. The Pirates’ technology didn’t interface with that of the Confederacy. The Lady Be Good carried Pirate transporters and two from the Confederacy. The incompatibility of the omnipresent Confederacy nanites required med tubes both from the Confederacy and the Pirates. Prohibitions against Confederacy technology and citizens meant the mission belonged almost entirely to the Pirates’ Raiders with a leavening of Richard’s fellow jumpers and family-to-be.

Susan Rand, commander of the Pussy Pirate Raiders, was the first of the Raiders to transport aboard the Lady Be Good. The former USMC Sergeant was among the rescues Molly brought back from California when the Pirates annihilated a cell of Earth Firster slavers. The Republic’s reaction to that raid eventually resulted in reluctant negotiations that allowed the Pirates to “film the rescue” of kidnap victims.

Not for the first time Susan blessed the Pirates’ self-developed equipment that gave her command an immense technology advantage over the mostly equipment-challenged Earth First movements. With their own transporter technology and sophisticated drones, missions could reorient almost on a dime. Their own med tubes helped their wounded to survive and recover.

And, over strenuous objections, Helen was still coming, because, as she declared, “There’s lots of kids, and they’ll be scared. Scared kids sometimes do really stupid things. You need me, and I’m going.”

Susan and Vivie stood looking at Helen, and Susan asked, “Can you shoot?”

“Yeah, my first dad taught me good...” Helen told them. “and I played a lot of Pussy Pirates, and don’t look at me like that ‘cuz I had my folks’ permission.”

“Let her go,” Vivie sighed. “She’s so much like me at that age. Not quite as far along as Wendy...” She turned to Helen and told her, “Wendy’s my adopted daughter. I couldn’t keep her out of the scrum either.”

Vivie moved in front of Helen, kneeled, and pulled an object from her pocket. “Helen, take my lucky Barlow knife. It was blooded on the asshole that killed my foster father. Keep it sharp and do me proud.”

Richard stood silently to one side. With his and Smokey’s early history, how could he deny his new daughter? He was quite proud of her.

As he had in the Army, he followed his team leader, and back stopped Susan as she checked her team and their equipment. Then he followed her through a transporter pad as the Raiders began filing through two portals to board their aerial steed.

When Spook’s message that they were about to cross into California airspace was passed back through his load master, Susan turned on her recorder and spoke into her mic, “Everyone who can hear me raise a hand. Everyone roll their recorder.” She grinned, and added for their audience “After all, the purpose of our visit is to record the rescue of wounded damsels by a US Marshal and his medical team.”

She nudged Richard and reminded, “No Confederacy tech from here on out.”

When the Lady had taxied to a stop and her ramp lowered, Christi released the tie down straps and drove the minibus down to the pavement where she turned it over to Richard’s team. A swarm of twenty drones lifted and flew out, piloted by Pirates in their operations center on Anouilh. The drones were multi-functional, but on this mission primarily intended for reconnaissance – make that recording – right? In the past they had shot ambushers and used their built-in transporter to drop bombs. Those options and more were still available.

Before leaving with the Pirates’ team, Richard went through to the cockpit and reminded Spook, “I can’t be in two places at once, so you get to be Helen’s minder. Get her and the kids back from Kate’s house or I’ll be a walking guilt factory for the rest of my life.” Then he hugged Helen and lectured, “Remember your job is to keep the kids from doing something stupid, so don’t go taking risks yourself. You’ve got guts kiddo, and I do love you.”

He turned and headed for the ramp, gathering his three ladies as he went, and boarded the already loaded bus for the short trip to the hospital. Spook and the relief team headed for Kate’s house, boarded two vans rounded up and driven by the Pirates’ fans who were contacted by their favorite camgirl and asked for transportation. Thrilled to assist, they had to be cautioned about security when they began to talk about telling their buddies.

On Tavern Road, across the large parking lot at the rear of the hospital, Richard’s team exited the bus and began to maneuver through the adjacent RV park and around to the front of the hospital. The drones spotted five figures dressed in black, congregated near the front entrance. The spotter relayed an image showing their positions then told her team, “Of course, I can’t tell you if anyone is inside until the smaller drone I dropped though the transporter finds a way inside.”

When informed that his team was in position, Richard parked the bus and led Awilda, Monica, and Janice to the front entrance where they were confronted by Carpenter, “Whoa big boy, where do you think you’re going wearing a sidearm and in that fancy shoulder rig to boot? I’m Officer Carpenter, and we don’t allow no gun-totin’ in our town.”

“Well, Officer Carpenter, I’m US Marshal Richard Ames Gentry, and I’m here with medical personnel to MEDEVAC wounded for treatment and obtain witness statements.” As he reached to point to his badge, on his left he heard the sound of a safety releasing. Reaching past his badge, he pulled his M9, fired, and returned to face Carpenter with the M9 pointed between his eyes. Carpenter flinched as a rifle was discharged into the air as the owner jerked the trigger.

“Call off your dogs, or somebody’s gonna be awful glad they’re near a hospital,” Richard demanded, then turned and called to his team leader, “Wisteria Bloom, disarm this bunch and take them into custody!”

The plan called for the team to dump all disarmed bozos through the transporter and let Tatts and Teddy deal with them.

As his team took charge of the five unhappy men, Richard walked to the entrance and found it locked. A sign on the door read, ‘Lobby door locked between 11 PM and 5:30 AM. For entrance, press button to the right and identify yourself to the person that answers.’ Richard did as the sign instructed and answered the voice, “I’m US Marshal Richard Ames Gentry. I’m here with appropriate medical personnel to MEDEVAC US Marshall Gwen Novak and her sister Kate Novak.

“Yes sir, Marshal,” came the response. “I’ll release the outer door. Please step into the foyer and put your ID against the glass for review. We have to be cautious as there are armed men roaming and claiming that they are taking over the town. I heard shots. Are any of your people hurt?”

“Thank you. Officer is it?” Richard told the voice. “No, none of my party is hurt, but one of the armed bozos has a numb hand and a broken rifle. My escort has five of them under control.”

A uniformed officer, pistol drawn, stepped up to the glass to read Richard’s ID. Richard told his three ladies to raise their hands to show he wasn’t under duress, and the officer holstered his weapon and pressed a button to release the lock.

As Richard entered, he heard a shriek, “Sparky, it is you!” and a scrubs-clad light chocolate vision ran across the lobby and threw herself at him. Wrapping her arms and legs around him, she planted a breath robbing kiss.

“Awilda turned to her sisters and declared, “I don’t think this one is Smokey.” Then she wondered aloud, “How big is this man’s harem?”

Richard turned to his trio and told them, “This is my battle buddy, Corporal Selena Johnson. We started calling her Diahann because she looks so much like Diahann Carroll. But I guess it’s Nurse Johnson by now.”

“Nope,” Selena told him, “I’m Doctor Johnson now and Smokey’s trauma doc, her sister’s, too. Those two and two others were pretty badly cut up by flying glass, but only Kate was in immediate danger of losing her life. Her daughter used pressure to keep her from bleeding out.”